Tick-tock, tick-tock. The tax year ends this Sun 5 April, so there are just days left for any UK over-16 to use their £15,000 tax-free cash ISA savings allowance. Don't let ISAs scare you. I wish I could hypnotise the nation so that when you hear "cash ISA" it's auto-replaced with...

"A SAVINGS ACCOUNT THAT YOU DON'T PAY TAX ON"

Anything you can do with normal savings such as 'take your money out the next day' you can do with cash ISAs too. Plus all below have the full £85,000 savings safety protection. Here are the 10 need-to-knows...

1.

Why your money's nicer in an ISA. The gain's simple. Earn £100 interest in a savings account and after 20% basic tax, you only receive £80 - after higher rate, £60. In a cash ISA, you keep the whole £100. So, as long as rates are similar, ISAs win and top ISAs tend to beat top normal savings anyway. See how cash ISAs work.

2.

Use it or lose it (and if you use it, it lasts for years). Once money's in a cash ISA, it stays tax-free YEAR AFTER YEAR. So, filling your cash ISA means you can future-proof your savings against future tax. Even though rates are crap now, when they bounce back, as you'll earn more interest, it could be very valuable.

Someone who'd filled their ISA allowance every year since they started in 1999 could now have getting on for £100,000 (incl interest) protected. And if you're saying 'why bother, I get another allowance next year', doing it now is still good practice, just in case you have an unexpected windfall next year.

3.

Top 1.5% cash ISAs if you know you need to access your cash. As cash ISAs are just "a savings account you don't pay tax on", like normal savings, there are easy-access cash ISAs where you can put cash in today and withdraw whenever you want. Here are the top payers...

THE DEADLINE: While the tax year ends midnight Sunday, open one ASAP. Newcastle BS won't take applications after Thu 3pm - the other two will accept them till late Sun, yet unless you're already their customer bank transfers even via faster payments take 2hrs. See Bank-by-bank deadlines.

4.

Most people should grab up to 2.25% cash ISAs. Unless you KNOW you'll need the cash soon, fixed-rate deals pay more, give guaranteed interest and the ISA rules mean (unlike normal fixed savings) they can't lock your cash away - all they can do is levy early withdrawal penalties.

- Coventry BS 2.25% fix until Nov 18 (no transfers, max £15,000) allows you to withdraw cash by closing the account and you lose just 120 days' interest - roughly a third of a year. Thus withdraw after a year, and you'd get 1.51%, beating the top easy-access deals. You must open it by Sat.

- Virgin Money 1.65% 1yr fix for new money (max £15,000) & transfers. You can make partial withdrawals and lose just 60 days' interest on them.

Earn 5% but taxed, if you're willing to switch bank account. Cash ISAs easily beat top normal savings (barring pensioner bonds), yet a few bank accounts pay far higher rates on savings in them, as loss leaders to encourage you to switch. Even after tax the interest beats most top cash ISA rates. Plus as they're bank accounts you can withdraw whenever you want.

- For bigger savers, 3% interest + up to 3% cashback: Santander 123* is the only one which pays strong rates on a decent whack. You get 3% AER variable interest if you've £3,000 to £20,000 in it. That's 2.4% after tax for basic-rate taxpayers and 1.8% for higher-rate taxpayers.

It has a £2/mth fee, but for most that's more than covered as it also pays cashback on direct debits paid from the account. You get 3% on mobile, phone, TV & b'band, 2% on energy and 1% on water and council tax. This earns some £10+/mth.

- 4% AER on £4k-£5k:Club Lloyds* (that's 3.2% after basic tax, 2.4% higher)
- 5% AER up to £2,000:TSB* pays 5% (4% after basic tax, 3% higher).- Free £125 + £5 each month you're in credit:Halifax Reward* pays this regardless how much you've got. As it's after basic-rate tax it beats TSB for most averaging under £1,500 in their account even before the £125.
- Want to save monthly, not a lump sum? Two 'free cash for switchers' bank accounts - First Direct* (free £125) and M&S* (free £100 M&S gift card) - also have linked 6% regular savers where you can save up to £300 and £250/mth.

There are still some long-term reasons cash ISAs can win though - read a full analysis of the pros and cons in my Santander 123 v Cash ISAs blog.

The 'using bank accounts as savings' need-to-knows...
1) Not everyone can get 'em. Most require... a) you to pass a credit check b) a min monthly deposit to be made c) you to set up a couple of direct debits.
2) The rates are variable. So keep your eyes open in case they change.
3) You can open more than one. This lets you save larger sums, but it can be tricky - for full help see the 5% Savings Loophole.

6.

Consolidate old and new ISAs to boost rates. Many old ISAs pay appallingly low rates - check yours. Yet you've a right to transfer them to a new provider to boost it. Plus combining new & old together makes transferring again in future (when rates change) easier.

Don't withdraw the cash though, as it'd no longer be in an ISA. Tell the new provider to transfer it for you. We note which of the best deals above allow transfers - there's a full rundown in our Top ISA Transfers guide.

7.

You get a NEW £15,240 cash ISA allowance Mon 12.01am. The brand-new ISA year starts next Monday, which means EVERYONE gets a brand-new, bigger cash ISA allowance of £15,240 to use then. The earlier it's open, the earlier your savings are tax-free.

BOOKMARK OUR TOP CASH ISAS GUIDE. IT'LL AUTO-UPDATE AT00.01 THIS MON 6 APRIL WITH THE NEW 2015/16 BEST BUYS.

There's nowt stopping you from opening this year's ISA today, and next year's on Mon - protecting £30,240 from the taxman in a week.

8.

Want a Help to Buy ISA? Use this year's cash ISA, not next year's. Last month's Budget announced the creation of a first-time buyers' Help to Buy (H2B) ISA to launch this autumn, where for every £200 you contribute £50 is added. We take you through it step-by-step in our Help to Buy ISA guide.

Yet in simple terms you can't open an H2B ISA and a cash ISA in the same tax year. So if you want a H2B ISA, for safety don't open a cash ISA from 6 April (so far better to fill this year's cash ISA allowance by Sunday). Yet there are ways round this, see H2B ISA & Cash ISA info.

9.

If the '£1,000 tax-free interest' allowance comes in, aren't ISAs dead? In the Budget the Chancellor announced plans that from April 2016, basic-rate taxpayers will be able to earn £1,000/yr interest without paying tax (higher rate £500). Yet don't let that affect you now - firstly it's not done & dusted yet, and second even then there will be times ISAs win. For full info see my why ISAs are still winners note.

10.

The tip of the ISAberg. There's lots more info in our cash ISA guide that can help you. Here are just a few more pointers...

- 16-17 year olds can open regular AND junior ISAs. Children under 18 can put up to £4,000 in a top junior ISA or Child Trust Fund by Sunday too. Yet over-16s can also have a cash ISA as well.

- Beware ISA direct debits now. If you've an ISA direct debit, unless you want to keep using the same ISA next year, STOP IT. Even if it just makes one payment after 6 April, technically you've opened a new year cash ISA and can't choose a different one without transferring.

- Flexible ISAs start in the autumn. Currently you can only 'put in' £15,000 in a year. Eg, if you put in £10,000 you've only £5,000 left to put in, even if you later withdraw cash. From autumn, you'll be able to withdraw cash then put it back in - see new Flexible ISA rules.

And finally... struggling to get it in? Just put it anywhere. Not a rule for life, just for ISAs. If you miss the best buys or want to be safe about getting cash in, just open your own bank's easy-access ISA - even if the rate's pitiful, then once in, you've a right to do an ISA transfer to up the rate.

1. Borrow more, pay less? Rates decrease the more you borrow. This has a perverse effect at the borders. Eg, borrow £2,499 and the cheapest's 14.9% - borrow £1 more and it's 8%. As our loans calculator shows, on a 5yr loan you'd then repay £540 less. Borrow £2,175+ and a £2,500 loan's cheaper. Use the extra cash for repayments. 2. For smaller amounts 0% credit card loans win. A few specialist cards allow money transfers, where the card pays cash into your bank account, like a loan, then you owe it instead.
Eg, accepted new MBNA* (eligibility calc) cardholders can get 2yrs 0%, for just a 1.94% one-off fee (min £3). Ensure you never miss a min repayment and clear before the 0% ends or it's 22.9% rep APR. Step-by-step help & more options in our Money Transfers guide.

3. A 3.6% loan can charge you 20%. All loans are now 'representative' rate, meaning only 51% of those accepted need be given that rate - the rest could pay more. Usually the only way to know is to apply, and that marks your credit file. Our Loans Eligibility Calc can't tell you your rate - but it does show your acceptance odds and the higher they are, (roughly), the more likely you are to be given the advertised rate, so it's an indication.

New £12/mth Sim. BT has shaken the mobile establishment by relaunching itself into the mobile establishment. It's only market-leading if you also have BT broadband - but as nearly 8m do, that's not small potatoes.

Is it worth sticking to BT broadband for this? Generally not on price, but many like to stick with a big name, and it does occasionally have promo deals. Currently it has a BT phone & broadband & a BT quad play deal (that's where you get phone, broadband, TV and mobile all together). Compare to our standard cheap broadband.

The six Sim-only need-to-knows. Before you pick your Sim and dive in tick these off your list...
1) Bill analysis: Let BillMonitor* log into your online mobile statement then analyse your bills to find cheaper deals.2) You can keep your existing number. Get your PAC from your current provider & ask the new one to port it over.3) Is your phone locked? If so it only works on one network, so you'll need to unlock it. See Mobile Phone Unlocking
4) Whose line is it anyway? There are only really four networks, all the rest piggyback on these. Of those above, Three is a network, BT & Virgin are via EE , Tesco Mobile & GiffGaff are via O2. For more on this see our piggyback networks - who's really who?5) Will you be credit-checked? Yes with Sim-only contracts, no with pay-as-you-go (PAYG). See Credit Score Boosting
6) What Sim size do you need? Most smartphones use micro-Sims, iPhones nano Sims - get the right size Sim card.

Did you pay Experian for CreditExpert? SUCCESS OF THE WEEK (Send us yours on this or any topic)
We've been swamped with successes from our new reclaim campaign, here are two from the deluge this week alone..."Just got email telling me I will receive a goodwill refund of £185 from CreditExpert thanks to your Experian template letters." and"A big thanks to @MartinSLewis and MSE's advice on Experian fraud insurance - just received £65 refund, that's my wedding shoes paid for."

Running a car now typically costs £3,000/yr (source: the AA). While the world oil price crash had pushed petrol prices down to £1/litre, they're now creeping up to an avg £1.12/litre. We've 50 Motoring Tips to rev up your savings - here's a taster...

1. Find your cheapest forecourt. A petrol price comparison can save you 5% on filling up.
2. Driving smoother uses up to 30% less. It's not about slowing down, it's about more gentle use of acceleration & better road positioning. Savings are HUGE. See drive more efficiently.
3. Lock in cheap car insurance before prices jump. Prices are predicted to rise 10% this year. So lock in quotes at today's prices for months ahead - see how to lock in quotes.
4. Has the PHOTO on your licence expired? 2m have - you risk a £1,000 fine. Photo ID help.
5. £13 RAC breakdown cover. Don't auto-renew & pay over the odds. See Cheap Breakdown.
6. Get 3% cashback on fuel. The Santander 123* (eligibility calc) credit card pays 3% cashback on fuel (max £9/mth), 2% in department stores, 1% supermarkets. There is a £24 annual fee for most, so it's best for those who do heavy miles. Always ensure you repay IN FULL each month though to avoid the 16.5% rep APR or it's not worth it. Full help: Petrol Credit Cards
7. Private parking firms CAN'T fine you. Tickets at supermarkets etc are invoices. Fight unfair PRIVATE parking tickets.
8. Hidden council MOT centres. As they don't do repairs, there's no vested interest to fail you. And anecdotally people say it's huge - eg, forumite Fed up hippie says: “Thanks. Our camper van MOT was £37 this year - last year it was £400.” See Cheap MOTs.
9. 3rd-party car insurance isn't always cheapest. Bizarrely, the mere fact you're selecting comprehensive makes some insurers see you as a lower risk, which outweighs the saving from 3rd party's lesser cover. More tricks in Car Insurance.
10. Unfair council parking fine? You've the right to appeal. See how to fight unfair COUNCIL parking tickets.

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Student loans for Masters: tell Govt your view
First-time postgraduates in England, aged under 30, may soon be able to apply for student loans of up to £10,000 (potentially up to £25,000 for research students) if they wish to do a master's degree, repaid at 9% of salary above £21,000, as per the current undergrad system. Has lack of funding stopped you studying for a master's degree in the past? Is the max age of 30 appropriate? Fill in the online survey to have your say or discuss in the MSE Forum.

MSE team corner

Discussion of the week

You've completed your shop and you're ready to pay but when you get to the till, the cashier tries to flog you a load of extra items. For some, there's nothing more annoying. Join the Extra selling at tills discussion and let us know what you think.

Seven party leaders have agreed to take written questions on consumer finance issues - Tory, Labour, Lib Dem, UKIP, Green, SNP & Plaid. Here’s our subject shortlist, some by us, some suggested by you - voting isn’t about whether you agree with the issue, but if you want them to answer it.

Poll results

How much are you worth (or do you owe) - not counting your home?
Despite the 5% of millionaires among you, your overall average net worth was £237,000 while overall net debt was £50,000. For homeowners, 85% were in credit and had an average net worth of £266,000 while 15% were in debt with an average net debt of £52,000.

In contrast, 64% of non-homeowners were in credit and had an average net worth of £89,000 while 36% were in debt with an average net debt of £45,000.

Question of the week

Q: Should the retailer/merchant first advise you that they intend to tap rather than insert your card into a chip and pin device for payments under £20? Paul, via email.

MSE Eesha’s A: The contactless payment system is designed so that you can quickly pay for items under £20 (rising to £30 in Sep) without having to part with your card or enter a pin. But if for some reason the cashier takes the card from you, there's no legal requirement for them to tell you they'll be using the contactless method.

When paying with a contactless card you won't see how much you're charged on the card reader and you won't necessarily get a card receipt (as best practice always ask for a store receipt) like you would if paying by Chip and Pin. So if you find there's a dispute with the amount charged, you should contact your bank straightaway so it can investigate. If you don't want a contactless card, most banks will issue you with a standard chip and pin debit card instead.

Thanks to Google you can now play Pacman around your neighbourhood. Just head to Google Maps on a desktop computer and look at the bottom left of your screen. A little pacman icon will appear - click it - and providing the page you’ve selected is suitable it’ll turn your street into a pacman game.

Let us know the best places you’ve found to play it...

We hope you save some money,

Martin & the MSE team

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How this site works

We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We're a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.

Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first.

We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content.

Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally-binding MSE Editorial Code.